Plier wrench



P. F. KING.

PLIER WRENCH.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. I3, 1922.

Patented Dec. 12, 1922.

Pera/rq/ I: 47179" B'Y Patented Dec. 12, 119.22.

than rarest-sate PEBCIVAL r. KING, or snanvnron'r,[Louisiana IPLIER WRENCH.

Improvements in Plier lVrenches,of which the following is a specification My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in plier wrenches" and particularly has for its object to provide a wrench of this character of a simple and effective construction in which the parts are so designed as to present maximum strength. with lightness of weight and to provide means whereby the Wrench may be readily adjusted to different sized nuts.

Another object of the invention is top'rovide a wrench of this character inwhich the sliding jaw operates on a horn carried by the opposite aw, the sliding aw being provided with friction gripping surfaces to en gage the horn when pressure is applied and assist in holding the sliding jaw in proper position.

The invention also resides in thosenovel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts, all of which will be first fully described and then be specifically pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1' is a perspective view of the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail side elevation of the same showing the operation of the friction lock or gripping surfaces.

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 2, parts being in. section, showing how the head of the horn. cooperates to release the gripping surfaces.

Figure 4 is a cross section on substantially the line 4l4 of Figure 3.

In the drawings in which likev numerals of reference designate like parts in all of the l igures. l is the lower jaw which is hifurcated to form ears 3 between which the end 4 of one handle is pivoted The 1 h s its front end tapered as indicated at to co respond with the similarly formed end 8 of he upper jaw 6. The jaw 6 has '7 through which horn 16 that is rig idly secured in any desired way to the jaw 1, passes, the born 16 having a head 17 to limit the upward movement of the jaw 6 and also to tilt that jaw to release the gripping surfaces, when desired.

Application filed February 13, 1922. Serial no; 536,317

T he jaw 6 is also bifurcated to form ears 9 between which the end 11 of the other handle 13 is pivoted at 10. The handles 12 and 13' are crossed, the handle13 being slotted to permit passage of a portion of the handle 12 and the two being pivoted to gether' at 15. The passage 7' of'the jaw 6 hasparallel sides'(s'e eFigure 4 but its end surfaces liein planes 19 and20 making angles 18 with each other. i

The surface at one end ofthe passage 7 lies at the top. whilethat 19 at'the other end lies at the bottom, the surfaces 202O being similarly opposed. The surfaces 2020 lie insubstantial parallel planes,- the arrangement being such that, when pressure is applied'to squeeze the handles 1213,if a nut imposed between the ends 2 and 8v of the jaws 1 and6, the jaw 6 will be held in tight gripping contact with the: horn 16 through the-pressure engagement of the surfaces with opposite edges of the horn (see Figure 2) and thus the jaw 6 willbe held against slipping. When it is desired to release the jaw, it is only necessary to spread the handlesl2 and13 and in order-to. allow the easy return of'the-jaw 6 into contact with the jaw l or allow itsxeasy movement toward the jaw 1, the handles 12 and'13 are. opened wide until the head 17 is engaged by the top surface of the jaw This causes the jaw '6 to be rocked or tilted from the position of Figure 2 to the positionof Figure 3, thereby releasing the I friction surfaces 19 from gripping engagement with the horn 16 and throwing the to such an angle that the passage 7 between the points .18-18 will be enlarged (see F igure 3), whereby the handles 12 andilil are squeezed together, the jaw 6 will freely move-toward the jaw 1 without sticking to orgripping the upwardly curved horn 1'6.

- From the foregoing. it will be observed that as the jaw 6 is 'f oroedbacki fromgripping pressure between. the points 2 and 8 the-upward, curved horn l6 ere te natu wall of resistance increasi e head 1'? by the spreading of He han les scribed the horn as securely attached to the jaw it is obvious that the horn 16 may be made in one piece with the jaw 1, in which event the head 17 would be made detachable.

l1 rom the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the complete construction, operation and advantages of the invention will be clear to those skilled in the art to which it appertains.

hat I claim is:

l. A plier wrench-comprising apair of crossed handles, aws hinged to the ends of said handles, one of said jaws having a rigidly attached born, the other jaw having a passage through whichsaid horn projects, said hornhaving a head inclined to the plane of the gripping surface of the jaw to which the horn is attached, said aw having the passage being provided with friction gripping surfaces for engaging the horn when the handles are squeezedtogether and adapted, when said handles are separated and said jaw is brought into engagement with the head of the horn, to, tilt the aw and thereby disengage the friction surfaces from the horn for the purposes described.

2. In a plier wrench, a pair of crossed handles pivoted together, a pair of jcws pivoted to the respective handle ends, one of said jaws having an upwardly curved horn terminating in a head inclined to the plane of the jaw which carries the horn, the

second aw having apassage through which the horn projects, said passage having parallel side walls and having end walls ly ing in two setsof planes, whereby to provide upper and lower gripping surfaces adapted to be frictionally engaged with the horn upon squeezing the handles together, said horn head adapted to tilt the moving jaw when the same is brought into engage ment with the head and thereby release the friction gripping surfaces from the horn.

3. In a plier wrench, a pair of crossed handles pivoted together,a pair of jaws, one of said jaws being bifurcated and pivoted to the end of one handle and the other jaw being bifurcated and pivoted to the end of a the other handle, each of said jaws having tapering ends'and opposing gripping faces, one of said aws havmg an upwardly and forwardly curved horn terminating in a head, the under surface of which lies in a plane inclined to the plane of the gripping surface of the jaw which carries the horn, the other jaw having a passage and adapted to slide up and down on said horn, said other jaw being provided with upper and lower gripping surfaces in said passage for frictionally engaging said horn in the operatingposition, said head, when engaged by the moving jaw, being adapted to tilt said moving jaw to release the gripping surfaces from said horn for the purposes specified.

4-. A plier wrench comprising a pair of crossed handles, jaws hinged to the endsof said handles, one of said jaws having an upwardly curved horn, the other jaw having a passage through which said horn projects said jaw having the passage being provided with friction gripping surfaces for engaging the horn when gripping pressure is ap plied between the points of the jaws opposite to their pivots, and means for tilting the moving jaw when the handles are separated to release the moving jaw from gripping the horn for the purposes specified.

A plier wrench comprising a pair of crossed handles, jaws hinged to the ends of said handles, one of said aws having an upwardly projecting horn, the other jaw having a passage through which said horn projects, said jaw which has the passage being provided with gripping surfaces to engage the born when gripping pressure is applied be tween the points of the jaws opposite to their pivots, and means for tilting the moving jaw when the handles are separated to release the moving jaw from the gripping horn, for the purposes specified.

G. A plier wrench comprising a pair of crossed handles, jaws hinged to the ends of said handles, one of said jaws having a horn, the other jaw having a passage through which said horn projects with provisions for effecting a friction'grip on the horn, when. gripping pressure is applied, the hinged connection between said other jaw and its handle being a one way hinged connection, whereby the handle connected with said other jaw will act as a one way lever to apply gripping pressure.

PERCIVAL F. KING. 

